Open Source Summit North America 2025

Debugging Linux kernel crashes is a fundamental skill for developers working in kernel development. In this session, we’ll dive into four of the most common crash types—null pointer dereference, stack overflow, use-after-free, and divide-by-zero. Using real-world examples from an Azure Linux VM, we’ll analyze dmesg logs, walk through kernel crash reports, and demonstrate how to effectively debug these issues using tools like gdb and KASAN.
Beyond debugging, we’ll explore the performance impact of kernel configurations. Specifically, we’ll examine how kernel command-line parameters influence performance, using the SRSO mitigation as a case study. This session will provide practical insights into debugging crashes and optimizing kernel performance, helping developers strike a balance between stability, security, and efficiency in real-world deployments.